I get requests like this that fall into two camps - the truly curious and the ones that assume I changed my last name from Mitnick and will do borderline or overt criminal activity for them.
My answer to the first? I follow the "you don't learn to hack, you hack to learn". Often it's a technical person that already hacks - finding unique solutions to problems, coding that script that helps the admins do their job - I give them pointers to take it to the next level. And I always point them to places like Pauldotcom and your site, Adrian, because I know for those it is a desire to learn, not necessarily learn how to infiltrate computers - at least not after they lay eyes on the mound of paperwork and reports I have to write! For those with a dubious intent, however innocent they may think it is, I often turn the tables on them .. do you think it would be right to do something criminal? How would you feel if someone did that to you? And I have stories of being a victim and explain my job is to help deter, stop or even catch the bad guys. Then I go back to answer one. YMMV though. On Feb 20, 2011 2:30 PM, "Adrian Crenshaw" <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi all, > Many on this list run a blog/podcast/etc and I imagine like me you get a > lot of "Teach me how to hack" or "do this for me" emails. How do you handle > them? > > The categories I get can generally be broken down into: > > 1. Teach me how to hack (which is too broad to ever do). > 2. I think my boyfriend/girlfriend is cheating on me, how can I spy on them > (why would I want to get involved?). > 3. Help me break into my neighbors/schools WiFi/Computer (Why would I help > you do something illegal, and leave a subpoenable record in email?). > 4. Do a bunch of free work for me as a favor and under dubious expectations. > I had a guy recently say he wanted be to teach him how to track down > spammers so he could sue them since he put a declaimer on his Craig's List > posts that said people owed him money ($50,000, and without going to court) > if they sent him spam, and various other outrageous demands. That one first > got the response that I though he had unreasonable expectations, and when he > email again I told him I was not interested and if I got another email from > him he owed me $100,000,000. Needless to say he was not happy. I mailed the > conversation to the list, but it got rejected, perhaps for being off topic > or having too much personal info in it. > 5. Questions about things I know nothing about, or that if I do know > something about I've already put all I know in an article/video. These > questions I normally just point to the best resource I know. > > My responses are usually: > > 1. You question is to vague and sorry, I can't teach individuals over email. > 2. Ignore them, especially it they used text speak in the email (ur = your, > etc). > 3. Point them at some other materials and say I don't know much on the > subject. > 4. Sometimes, if it is especially whacked, I may have a snarky response. > > I like to help people learn, but some people just want too much time, or for > you to do all the work for them. What are your normal responses? How do you > deal with these things? I don't want to seem like an ass for not helping > people, but I'd rather speed my personal time doing other things. > > Thanks, > Adrian
_______________________________________________ Pauldotcom mailing list [email protected] http://mail.pauldotcom.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/pauldotcom Main Web Site: http://pauldotcom.com
